UPDATE: Japan has Changed | Everything you need to know for 2024! 

We just got back from Japan last week. Your videos definitely helped us prepare! Kyoto definitely felt the most congested, but we found that going in the morning (before 9:00) to temples/tourist areas was the best way to avoid peak crowds. We absolutely loved the train and subway systems and hope to visit outside of the Golden Triangle on our next trip. Nara was definitely our favorite spot on the whole trip

I was in Japan from Oct 18th -- Nov 2nd, and lemme tell you I had to SWIM through the crowds in Kyoto haha! Best thing I did whenever masses started to appear was = take the first back alley possible and experience the lesser known places. Wanted to climb Mt. Inari, but didn't wanna take 1 step pr. 5 minutes, so I spoke to an elderly local and he pointed me to the "old bamboo" way up the mountain - highlight of my trip, walking through dense vegetation and seeing old moss-grown shrines on my way up.

Handy info as always & enjoying some of the less known location videos recently. Would love a video where you mention some of your favorite itineraries you’ve done.

We just got back from Japan. Your videos helped us prepare. My husband was so looking forward to Kyoto, mainly from iconic tourism photos of empty edo streets with the occasional geisha. He was shocked by how crowded it was and he said it was kind of discussing how it’s just a huge tourist trap. We also didn’t realize it’s a city of over 1 million people 😳 not a small quaint town. Our favorite spot was a rural mountain area, still touristic but we enjoyed it. Shibuya is crowded but a lot of fun.

I'm currently working on planning a trip to Japan for next year for the autumn season and I'm doing so much research of the places I want to go as it's my first time and of course I'll do the golden route with Hiroshima included. From basics manners to basic phrases to get me along the way and not disrupt the local people daily routine. Thank your for your content every time it definitely helps. Hopefully after my first visit I can continue visit Japan and explore more lesser known areas as a nature lover and Japan has so much nature to explore to my heart content.

Thank you a lot, Sir for your respectful and deep overview of the touristic rules changes and tips!

I think for many people who travel to JP for the first time, like any other country, they'd want to go to the main few big cities because that is part of the quintessential Japanese experience, so you're going to have to plan for infrastructure with that in mind already. Having been a few times now when I do go back I'd like to travel to the regions more, but that's only because I've seen the big cities!

Got back from Japan last week, I did the Hiroshima/Miyajima, Osaka, Nara, Kyoto and Tokyo route over 2.5 weeks, Yes the crowds round the main tourist areas were a pain, but also found some great hidden gems just a few minutes walk from the main areas, a bit of research on google maps goes a long way here. Already thinking about my next trip, and while I do want to spend some more time in tokyo as missed so much this trip, I was already thinking of having the other week in a less touristy place, Kanazawa was already on my ideas list, so will definately be checking out your guides 😀

Great video & advice!

Thank you for the update See you later!

Currently in Japan and If Japan puts a monthly cap or something on incoming tourists from China they would have resolved lots of problems. I have been traveling outside the golden Triangle and the amount of multiple Groups with 30 plus people all from China( They have signs and speaking Mandarin mostly some rare instances Cantonese) The point is even in a Shinkansen to Kanazawa groups of tour groups and they all seem to be from China. Just pointing that out. Thanks Ninja Monkey for the awesome content

Thanks for another great video mate! Just returned from japan and watching your video's before we departed really helped us a lot thank you and keep up the good work! I read that before covid 19 travel and tourism accounted for 2% of the country's total GDP, does japan rely on tourism? and do you think its worth the changes japan is making to accommodate foreign visitors? After seeing the huge number of visitors that were there I can understand the frustrations of the locals. Many of the local buses we took were 30% visitors and some stops the driver dorve past because the bus was full leaving people at the bus stop. In New Zealand we rely heavily on tourism and being roughly the same size as japan with only 5 million foreign visitor numbers hardly impact on our infrastructure.

Thanks Nathan. More people need to watch videos on basic manners before coming to Japan. I just walked past a group of foreign tourists sitting on the sidewalk in Shinjuku eating snacks from 7/11. No, no. They were just forcing everyone to walk around or step over them. Downtown Shinjuku sidewalks are NOT public parks or picnic tables…

Great video for 2024 info

i'm planning to travel to japan in 2024 with my wife for the first time in my life it has been my dream for a long time. we are very nervous but this video really help us to go more prepare

Heading to Kyoto to attend university next year but this is still good to know to be prepared

Cool to learn the phrase "bullet climbing." I've read about people saying they were going to do something like that on Reddit but had never heard a term like that to describe it.

i'd like to see some content about alternates to JR - Tobu line to Nikko? Kintetsu from Osaka (or Kyoto) to Nara/Nagoya? (and the value of Kintetsu Rail Pass) Romance car to Hakone? etc.

I'm heading to Japan in March 2024 and knowing these changes could prove very helpful once I'm there. I'm going on an organized group tour that starts in Osaka, going to Koyasan, Kyoto (Including Nara), Takayama, Matsumoto, Kawaguchiko before ending the tour in Tokyo.

Kyoto needs a tourist tax to fight their crippling debt.

I'm glad I did my Mt.Fuji run this year.

I believe there is room to add taxes/fees to support the sites/infrastructure that tourists want to visit: per group tour bus fees, fees on ferry tickets to Miyajima, fees on tourist train passes, fees on entrance VISA, fees to climb Fuji-san , if not exorbitant should be acceptable to visitors (heck if the fee receipt was some kind of collectable ticket - they might be HAPPY to pay) on that note - some of the complaints about the JR pass price increase might go away if JR shared how much of the increase went to support infrastructure that visitors use (500 yen of every pass goes to support Kyoto or whatever)

They just need to regulate the amount of Chinese tourist that can enter the country, last time I went 90% of tourist were Chinese

I got sick in Japan last March and did not have fun. Planning this February where crowds are less.

My one and immediate wish is for tourists to stop littering. The beauty of this land partly lies in its' impeccable cleanliness. It distresses me greatly watching people being hell bent trying to clutter these pristine roads with garbage. And as a person who lives at the foot of Fuji山, it is quite noticeable how much 'less clean' the roads are in recent times.

i remember the last time the kyoto bamboo forest was so crowded, we had to wait for the front to move

my plans are Tokyo, Shibukawa, Tokorozawa, Saga prefecture and Fukuoka,. i had my fill of Kyoto and Miyajima. saw Hiroshima sufficiently ove the previous 2 trips. i havent yet gone to Osaka but thats for another trip if possible..

As a foreigner living in Japan for over 7 years, I really miss the travel restriction era 😅. Places were much more peaceful

What is an alternative to Kyoto in terms of getting a similar experience ?

ネイサンありがとうございます！💕

Easier for first time visitors to travel to Tokyo Kyoto/Osaka. Authorities should think of how to promote and make it easier to lesser travel areas.

Just paid the tourist tax, hopefully the money really does go to the island, because I don't mind chipping in even more if it keeps the island maintained

The JR pass is no longer for tourists but for people like me who's been to Japan multiple times and often goes on day trips to meet with friends in close by regions...

Having been to Miyajima, I would have gladly paid a 1,000 yen tax to be able to spend a day there.

Most tourists are ignorant, sadly, They learn little of the culture or language in advance, and act as if the cities are amusement parks and not functioning places where people work and live.

If this was in the west then the Miyajima tourist tax would be more like 10,000 yen. Mt Fuji needs a tourist tax too.

A great video Nathan. The only thing I would add is to at least learn a few phrases of Japanese for basic things. If you can't be bothered to do that, at least become familiar and use a translation app. Most people don't respond well to someone coming up to them and speaking in a language that is not native to that area, and increasing the volume assuming that being louder will making sounds that have no meaning to the locals, suddenly meaningful. We are guests in Japan and many of these ideas make sense to the Japanese. You are not special and following these rules will make an already polite and accommodating people more willing to try and accommodate your wishes, if possible. Most of us want to be seen as individuals and not as part of a crowd just disrupting life. Japan is not a theme park, so go along to get along. For many of the viewers of this channel, Japan calls us to come and enjoy the many marvels that can only be found and enjoyed by those embrace the country as it is. Cities big and small, and the countryside, even remote areas all have a charm that is all their own, with rules that those who reside there expect you to follow. Do so, and travellers will be welcomed. That's the way to become a Happy Gaijin in Japan.

Japan would change even more as RADIOACTIVE JAPAN.

Most important language for the "Code of Conduct" is Chinese.

Japan should create new tourist sights (observation decks, shrines, anime statues) in areas that they want to divert people and then TikTok it to death as tourism promo videos because young people seem to flock to wherever tiktokkers tell them to go. Sadly, the majority of tourists that will behave badly are going to do it regardless of education because when it's their inconvenience they will throw manners out the window.

Climbers who wish to push through with their hike selfishly unprepared don't deserve to travel.

Thank you for you videos. They helped me a lot planning my trip earlier this year. Talking about out-of-the-way places to escape overtourism, I just posted a video of my 10 favorite places from my trip. There are more detailed videos on my channel that I posted while on the trip. Here is a link to today's video. Maybe you can share with your viewers some of these locations: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Bc2kmQanrA8.html

Not gonna lie, I thought I was clicking on a video by Chris Broad

You have a huge shadow blocking you from below your nose and on, it's distracting. Thank you for this video.

Introduce a basic course in manners and language tourists have to pass before traveling.

I am so glad I have been multiple times Kyoto wont go back unless on way elsewhere cant stand to many tourists. I love the quieter areas and have been to many lesser visited places that have so much to see Kyoto has been spoiled by tourism . I dont think tax will help .I think they should have a bus that tourists only use only to take away from locals being angry at not being able to get on buses I walked everywhere in Feb when visited as buses were packed. I walked miles but was better than being crammed in a bus .

First.

carrying luggage has nothing to do with being eco-friendly. Less luggage means more space for tourists and more $. If it's such a problem, I suggest all these amateur travel vloggers quit.

No point to climb Mount Fuji , nothing really , the mountain is only looking beautiful from a far but if you are climbing you see nothing of the mountain.

hmmm,... eliminating all English language from Japan and making Fuji-san off limits to everyone ... let's try ...

Over tourism? Bro this was the same shit in 2018.....the amount of people hasn't changed they just forgot how it was..... I swear these videos people keep among are trash

The tourist tax is worth it.We all want these spots in japan to stay,so we can visit again and again.